Matt. 24.
The Great Tribulation.
In the history of the world there have been many times of very great trial. And the Jews in their past history have, perhaps, passed through greater trial and sorrow than any, save Christians who have been martyred for the name of Jesus. But there is a time of trial coming for the poor Jews that will surpass in its bitterness anything that history has ever recorded. This will begin at the time referred to in our last little article on Matt. 24.
When the idol is set up in the temple, which Daniel calls “the abomination of desolation,” God will visit His righteous indignation upon those who worship this idol. He will allow a powerful army to besiege Jerusalem, and the Jews will be shut in on every side, with no way of escape, and there they will suffer trouble and sorrow beyond anything that has ever been known.
Jesus reveals it beforehand. He says, “then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Jeremiah, referring to this time of trouble, says: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jer. 30:77Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7). Daniel also refers to this same time. An angel speaking to him of it says: “At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”
Thus Jeremiah, Daniel and Jesus, all speak of this day of terrible trouble for the Jewish people. It will be God’s judgment on those who set up an idol in the temple of God to worship it, having rejected Jesus and accepted the antichrist.
The Jews will not all worship this idol. There will be some who will refuse; but these, too will suffer, because of their connection with the others. But these godly ones will be delivered—all who are found written in the book—and will become the nation of Israel, and the inheritors of the promises made to Abraham, and made good to them in Christ Jesus, whom they once rejected, but whom they will now receive, with deep repentance because of their past unbelief.
Happy it will be for us, if we are kept out of that great tribulation; and if we now believe in Jesus, we will be kept out of it, for we shall be caught up to meet Jesus before the tribulation comes.
ML 04/03/1904